Language Lovers

French word of the week: net

This series of weekly blogs takes a closer look at words from our French dictionaries. The word we're focusing on this week is the French adjective 'net'. Read More

The holly and the ivy: wonderful words for Christmas plants

Which plants I wonder, gentle reader, do you associate with Christmas? I strongly suspect several of this week’s Collins Word of the Day will spring to mind. IYAM, certain plants just shout ‘Christmas’, don’t they? Well, perhaps some are a bit shoutier than others. The traditional holly, ivy, mistletoe and… Read More

EXTERMINATE! 7 timey-wimey words for Whovians old and new

Whovians… assemble! It’s a landmark year for fans of the British science fiction show Doctor Who, as the BBC celebrates Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary with some very special episodes. The 60th anniversary celebration has involved three new episodes featuring the much-loved Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant, and his companion… Read More

I’m A Celebrity… Teach Me The Vocab!

An annual staple of British reality television, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! debuted on our screens over 20 years ago and is still going strong. Each year, the TV powers that be ship a completely random group of celebrities – with past highlights including disgraced politicians, footballers,… Read More

The Rugby World Cup and South African language

Well, that was a cliffhanger and a half, wasn’t it? South Africa has been buzzing with elation ever since the Springboks’ historic victory in the RWC final. They took the title for the fourth time, thereby not only repeating their triumph at the 2019 World Cup but also placing themselves… Read More

The acceleration of AI and other 2023 trends

Did you worry quite so much about a robot takeover before the advent of ChatGPT? The revolutionary AI-powered language model burst into the public consciousness in late 2022, wowing us with its ability to mimic natural human speech.  It could do much more than that, actually – need copy for… Read More

Words from South Asia for the Cricket World Cup

Howzat! During this month and a goodly part of November, legions of cricket fans worldwide will be watching matches in India like enthusiastic hawks as the country plays host for the third time to the stellar four-yearly ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (CWC for short). Viewing… Read More

Turkish delights: Turkish words in Collins English Dictionary

Turkish delight Look up the word Turkish in the Collins Dictionary and you’ll encounter several compounds that hint at the influence Turkey and its culture have exerted over the centuries. Take Turkish coffee, that mood-boosting, energy-providing short but sweet shot. Perhaps you have a… Read More